A fun wall art project

Meredith found a project and thought it would be perfect for my playroom. As soon as I saw it I totally agreed! Check this out:

Begin with a blank canvas. The one I used is approximately 20X24 and I decided to do two of them to flank a window.

Next choose some scrapbook paper. I found this fantastic set at JoAnn's for half price. The colors were perfect for my playroom. I also knew that I could use any of the papers and they would all go together if they came from the same stack!

Decide how many circles you want on the canvas and then trace circles to fit that size. Mine worked out to be 3X4, 12 circles total. I chose 12 sheets of paper and cut two circles out of each one.

The finished circles

Circles arranged on canvas

I chose a color in the scrapbook papers that I loved and mixed some paints together to come up with a perfect Martha Stewart blue. It was slightly lighter than the blue in the papers and looked great with all of the colors. I then painted the entire canvas.

The circles arranged on the blue canvas in the final order. On the second canvas I rearranged the circles in a different order. In order to have them evenly spaced I just figured out that there needed to be 1 1/4 inch in between each circle so I just measured as I glued them down.

Decoupage the circles on to the canvas using ModPodge. Hint: The best result I found for a smooth, even finish is to completely coat the back of the paper with mod podge, then completely coat the circle area on the canvas as well. Wait a few seconds and apply the two together. Smooth over well. This will allow all edges to lay very flat.

The finished product hanging on the wall in my playroom.

The two canvases hung in the playroom

(Sorry the lighting in the picture is terrible but there was a bad glare coming through the window)

This would be an awesome project to do with your children. Mine are a little too young for that but I'm sure some kids would have a blast helping. I am contemplating making different pieces for each of my kids rooms!

Check out this link for our inspiration:
http://www.remodelingthislife.com/2008/08/29/diy-wall-art/

Custom Covered Mattes

Project #8 Covered Matte Boards
First we bought mattes to fit in an 11x14 frame at the dollar store.

We then purchased 11x14 frames from the thrift store since we would be spray painting them anyway. Spray paint frames the color that works for you, we chose white.

Next, we gathered scrapbook papers to match our girl's bedrooms. Meredith went for the colorful look since her girls have a colorful room and I went with the Shabby Chic look for Brynley's room.

Cut/tear scrapbook papers to various sizes and piece together on matte board using Mod Podge. You can also paint the Mod Podge over the paper if you would like a slightly shiny texture.

Finished mattes before frames are added.

Finally, put mattes in frames and you're ready to add your favorite pictures. We will be using black and white photos in ours.

Friday, September 26th

Project #4 - Autumn/Winter Table Sign

A friend of ours who has a vinyl lettering cutter showed us this project. We started this a few weeks ago and did not take any progress pictures, but here is the finished product.

It is a two sided sign, one sign reading "Autumn" and the other "Winter"

Blocks Measure approximately 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches

Each block is painted and then decoupaged with a piece of scrapbook paper

Distress blocks with sand paper

Adhere vinyl letters to each side of the blocks

Attach blocks together using 3/4" hinges